


here comes treble

by unholyconfessions (orphan_account)



Series: a light to help you sleep at night [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Hurt!Barry, Hurt!Eddie, M/M, Post 1.08 - Flash vs. Arrow, Pre-Slash, Secret Identity, Slow Build, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2015-06-18
Packaged: 2018-04-05 00:15:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4158363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/unholyconfessions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The knot in his throat all but dissolves as his eyes land on Eddie—<em>alive</em>, his brain throws at him—with a smile on his face, his pale hand tucked between Iris’.</p><p>[sequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/3247952">this deadly affinity</a>.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	here comes treble

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, wow. It's been a while! 
> 
> Life's been crazy, but I'm back. Thank y'all for sticking around, and I hope you enjoy this. I'm thinking this 'verse might a bit of a slow burn, but who knows what my brain's gonna come up with.
> 
> If any of you are waiting on my other Barry/Eddie stories, sit tight and they shall come. I don't know how soon, but I'm working on it now that I have some time off.
> 
> Thank you so much and enjoy! Unbeta'd as usual. Feedback is love.
> 
> Title from The Flatliners' _Here Comes Treble_ which is an amazing song! :-)

Barry only makes it as far as the S.T.A.R. Labs parking lot before his body collapses to the ground. He lolls his head to the side, presses his cheek to the cold asphalt, and tries to blink the blurriness away from his vision without success. 

The next time he opens his eyes, Caitlin is staring down at him, a warm but concerned smile showing on her face. He returns the gesture and tries to sit up, but a heavy hand lands on his chest before he can. 

He catches Cisco in his peripheral vision, twists his neck to look at him—was he there before?—and Cisco breathes out a sigh, raises his eyebrows, but it’s Caitlin who speaks:

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she tells him, a smidgen of humor behind her fretful tone. “You need to rest, Barry.”

Barry nods his response—a little faster than he should have, apparently—and his world tips to the side. Caitlin places her hand on his forehead, as if to check his temperature, and gives out a relieved breath. 

Even through his fuzzy sight, he doesn’t miss the way her eyes soften and her lips curve into a smile.

“You’re warmer,” she says, more a passing thought than a declaration, and Barry’s mind jumps to Eddie and how cold and clammy his skin was against Barry’s, all that blood—

Barry breathes out Eddie’s name despite feeling like there isn’t enough air in his lungs, and Caitlin nods like she was expecting him to mention it, says, “He’s at the hospital.”

Barry turns to Cisco for confirmation and Cisco gives him a nod, but it’s not enough for him. His body moves before he does and Caitlin’s fingers find his arm, circle it with more force than is comfortable, make him settle back against the bed. 

“You can’t help him, Barry,” she says, warm, loosening her hold on him. “He’s going to be fine.”

“Joe’s been calling with us updates.” Cisco pats Barry’s right shoulder. “Besides, the only thing you have to worry about right now is just _how_ badly you’ve damaged my suit.”

Barry frowns at Cisco’s quiet chuckle, but laughs along when Caitlin can’t hold back a giggle. 

He asks, “That bad?”

Caitlin makes a pensive face and nods, says after a suspenseful pause and a glance at Cisco, “Pretty bad.”

***

Barry wouldn’t exactly call it a bribe, except there is no more appropriate word for what it takes for Caitlin to drive him to the hospital to see Eddie, hours later.

( _Drive him_ , because she wouldn’t have it any other way.)

“I’ll just wait here,” she tells him when they get to the room Eddie’s in, rubs his arm. “Take your time.”

He smiles at her, hopes it conveys how grateful he is, and knocks on the door before helping himself in. 

The knot in his throat all but dissolves as his eyes land on Eddie— _alive_ , his brain throws at him—with a smile on his face, his pale hand tucked between Iris’. 

She and Eddie turn to look at him at the same time, make Barry loses his breath for a moment. He forces out a smile, takes a step closer to them even though the panic rising in his throat advises him against it. 

“Hey,” he says, quietly, points at the flowers in his hand with a chuckle. “I got you these. _Again_.”

Iris rubs Eddie’s hand as she chuckles out a joke, “He likes the food here.”

“The food?” Barry raises his eyebrows, falls into her lighthearted tone, “I thought it was all about the décor.”

Barry places the flowers on the small table by Eddie’s bed, goes around it so he’s opposite Iris, and can’t help but feel like déjà vu as he smiles down at Eddie. 

He returns Iris’ smile when he glances back up she beams at him, lets his hands fall to the bed, close enough to Eddie that he can feel the warmth through Eddie’s clammy skin.

He swallows his relief, nods at nothing in particular, asks, “How are you feeling?”

“Sore,” Eddie says with a laugh that sounds painful. “Better.”

The sound makes Barry’s head swim and he clears his throat, grins. “Good.”

Iris mimics him after a beat, when silence stretches for longer than is comfortable, and gestures vaguely at the door.

“I’m gonna go grab a coffee,” she says to Barry. “You want anything?”

Barry shakes his head and she nods, leaning in to give Eddie a peck on the lips before leaving.

The door closes behind her with a soft click; it sends a shudder down Barry’s spine, like an ominous presence, and he opens his mouth, closes it again when Eddie looks up at him.

“Eddie,” Barry starts, wetting his lips, but the words get stuck in his throat before his brain can process them. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Eddie frowns. “Allen, it’s not your fault.”

“No, I—” Does Eddie really not remember? “Eddie.”

Eddie makes a face at him, curious. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah,” Barry says, nodding. He swallows. “I’m sorry. I just—I wish I could’ve done something. To help.”

“You brought flowers.” Eddie pats his hand, smiling. “Again. That’s good enough for me.”

Barry chews on the inside of his cheek for a second, but Iris comes back before he can say anything in response. 

Eddie frowns at him as he struggles with soundless words, but Barry shakes his head, averting his eyes when Iris traces a look between them. Her eyes dawdle on him for a while longer.

“Is everything okay?” she asks.

Barry makes an aloof sound in his throat, tries to move away from her stare as it follows him across the room.

“Yeah, sure.” Barry swallows dry. “Hey, I should go,” he mutters, throwing a thumb over his shoulder, toward the door. “Caitlin’s waiting. I’m glad you’re okay, Eddie.”

“Caitlin’s here?” Eddie asks, in unison with Iris’, “Oh, right, Caitlin’s here!”

Barry scratches the nape of his neck with one hand, reaching for the door behind his back with the other. 

Iris gives him a knowing smile and he frowns, stutters, “That’s not—she’s not—she’s my ride home.”

Barry misses the doorknob as Eddie gives him a funny look, almost falls to the floor as he loses his balance, but catches himself just in time. Iris frowns at him, a curious smile on her lips, and Barry just gestures at the door and apologizes, flees the room as fast as he can.

Caitlin raises her eyebrows at him. “Everything alright?”

Barry wets his lips, takes her by the hand as he goes for the nearest exit. “He doesn’t remember,” he says as they walk back to the parking lot.

Caitlin’s hand slips from his as they come to a stop. She glances up at him with a frown. “Doesn’t remember what?”

“That I’m the Flash!” he whisper-shouts.

“You told him?”

“No.” Barry sighs, his shoulders falling. “I mean, not really. I was hurt and in pain and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. There was so much blood.” He cringes at the memory, swallowing. “I—I took off my mask.”

Barry only realizes his hand is shaking when Caitlin wraps hers around it, warm against his skin, and squeezes. He blinks, taking in a sharp breath as he glances down at her, and she bites down onto her bottom lip.

“Maybe he doesn’t remember, maybe he does,” she says, shrugging one shoulder. “But don’t you think it’s time you stopped hiding from them?”

Barry shakes his head. “I can’t. I can’t tell them.”

“Keeping them in the dark is not protecting them, Barry.”

“I can’t, Caitlin. I just can’t. I’m sorry.”

She nods, allowing the silence to stretch for a moment before she gives him a tight smile and squeezes his hand again. 

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to,” she tells him and her words haunt him all the way back home.


End file.
